Greater Manchester will see its vaccine supply cut by around a third in February, NHS data has shown.
The Health Service Journal (HSJ) revealed that available doses for the North West will fall to around 200,000 in the second week of February – which is 110,000 fewer than the number of jabs given in the week up to January 24.
Vaccine supply is set to be slowed in Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and South Cumbria as well as Greater Manchester.
According to the HSJ, the move was being made for two reasons: National shortages and to allow other regions to ‘catch up’.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said he was “far from convinced” that easing supply to the North West was “right or fair”.
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Manchester MP Lucy Powell also stated she was “not sure this is the right approach.”
I will be asking further questions about this. As one of the hardest-hit regions, I am far from convinced that this is right or fair. 👇 https://t.co/P3bycjE3K1
I’m not sure this is the right approach. Surely we should be getting as many vaccines done as possible where that capacity is. And we have been one of the hardest hit areas – hospitalisations, deaths, longest lockdown, so surely makes sense to protect our population asap https://t.co/6c2b30QhZe
NHS England’s North West directorate said in a statement that the area is being “fully supplied with all the vaccinations needed to offer vaccination to everyone across the region aged 70 and above, as well as clinically extremely vulnerable patients, and health and social care staff”.
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Stats have shown that the North West has vaccinated over 12 per cent of its total population so far – more than any other area except the South West.
In Greater Manchester alone, all care home residents have now received their first dose of the vaccine.
More than 80% of all Over 80s in England have had the jab.
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Total vaccinations in the UK have now topped 6.8 million.
The government has stated that it is still on target to achieve its aim of vaccinating four key groups by February 15 – care home residents and staff, frontline workers, Over 70s and the clinically vulnerable.
News
Family pay tribute to father-of-two killed in Rochdale plane crash
Daisy Jackson
The family of a man killed in a light aircraft crash in Rochdale have paid tribute to a ‘deeply loving father and devoted husband’.
36-year-old Arian Abbasi was one of two men killed when an aircraft crashed into farmland in Littleborough in Rochdale last week, after travelling from Birmingham.
Emergency services rushed to the scene shortly after 11am on Tuesday 3 February, but sadly pronounced both men dead at the scene.
It’s believed there was no one else on board the aircraft, and there were no reported injuries on the ground.
Now, Arian’s family have issued a moving tribute to him. He was a pilot from Harrow in Greater London.
They described him as being a ‘deeply loving’ family man, whose passion was flying.
He was about to embark on a new chapter with a commercial airline in just a few weeks’ time.
His family said: “He lived his life for his family and friends, giving them his constant love, strength, and support.
“Flying was his passion, and he was on the brink of beginning an exciting new chapter with a commercial airline on 23 February; a dream he had worked toward with immense pride and determination.”
GMP investigations are now focused on finding part of the parachute system which contains propellant and hasn’t yet been located.
Finding the device has been ‘very difficult’ due to the nature of the terrain and the wide area over which it may have travelled.
It measures approximately 10 cm in diameter and 30 cm long and has a red anodised finish. It weighs less than 2 kg. It may have a silver metal collar attached at one end.
GMP said: “Please do not handle the device if you see it. If discovered, contact the police immediately via 101 or our Live Chat at gmp.police.uk, quoting log 1056 of 03/02/26.”
Homeless children in Greater Manchester will now get free bus travel to and from school
Emily Sergeant
Children who are currently living in temporary housing in Greater Manchester are set to get extra support with school travel.
In a move that was announced by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) at the end of last week, and following years of campaigning, homeless children living in temporary accommodation are now set to get free school travel on all Bee Network buses.
TfGM says it understands that some children end up a long way from their school when placed into temporary accommodation, and this leaves parents or carers with the difficult choice of either having to move them to a closer school, which ultimately disrupts their education, or having to pay unexpected travel costs.
While the Greater Manchester Strategy – which is the plan for the city region’s next decade – commits to reducing the number of families and children in temporary accommodation, and measures are also being taken to make sure residents have the support they need to ‘access, improve, and retain’ a decent, affordable home, this doesn’t tackle the immediate issue.
Homeless children in Greater Manchester will now get free school bus travel / Credit: TfGM
So, to help those families when they ‘need it most’, free bus travel to and from school is set to be provided, as subject to approval of this year’s Combined Authority budget.
The move comes after Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham asked TfGM last year to look at options to help with the cost of travel.
“Using our locally-controlled Bee Network buses to support families when they need it most is the right thing to do,” Andy Burnham commented.
Of course, the long-term solution is no kids in TA and we’re working with our councils to achieve this in the next few years.
We can do it because GM will soon hit the point where we are building more council and social homes every year than we’re losing through right-to-buy. 👍🏻
“A move into temporary accommodation is often a massive upheaval for families and can be a worrying time. With this measure, the cost of travel to school will be one less thing for families to worry about.
“It will mean parents and carers don’t have to choose between an extra demand on their household budget and keeping their children with friends and teachers they know and trust.”
The Manc -
27th January 2021 
